Saturday, 16 July 2016

16 July 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings

Saturday 16 July 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalm
38

The
psalmist is dreadfully ill, so much so that friends stand a bit further away
and people who seek harm spread rumours. The psalmist stays quiet, trusting
God, praying and asking for God’s salvation.

Amos 5: 1 – 17

Amos prophesies 90%
destruction. He says that there may yet be time for those who seek the Lord and
seek justice for all. If not, the only sounds will be those of people wailing
and mourning in the cities and in the farms.

John 6: 35 – 51

Jesus states that he is the
bread of life and those who believe in him will be raised up and have eternal
life. He makes it clear to those who challenge him that God decides who will
believe. It is through grace we are led to Jesus. So Jesus is not concerned
that some people do not accept him. But those who believe have eternal life.
And as the ancient people had manna in the wilderness so Christ will feed us so
that we gain eternal life.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Layers of the paperbark treeMandurah Estuary WA L Osburn

All-powerful God who sent
Christ in his entirety to save us and give us eternal life, you know we
sometimes confuse places of worship with truly seeking you with all our hearts
and minds. We sometimes forget that it is through grace alone, not by anyone's
efforts that we are brought to seek and understand Jesus. Keep us from fear,
destruction doubt, grumbling and imposing our ideas on others. Help us to stay
quiet, seek the good, establish justice and fairness, so that all have the
opportunity to approach Jesus in grace and hope and love, and gain eternal
life. Amen

Saturday 16 July 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalm
39

The
psalmist is mortally ill and perceives his illness to be punishment from God.
He decides to be calm and quiet in the presence of people who would bring him
more grief. He asks to know how much time he has left. Humans are like passing
guests, aliens. The psalmist asks for a little relief so that he can smile
before he dies.

Ezekiel 24: 1 – 2 and 15
– 27

Ezekiel hears God. He
records the exact date – the date the Babylonians being the siege of Jerusalem.

God tells him that his
wife will die and he is not to mourn but put his turban on and his sandals and
be silent as an example to the people of how they will lose the city, the temple,
their families and they will not weep but pine away with silent grief. And on
that day when the news comes to Ezekiel, then he will be able to speak again.
Ezekiel’s wife dies that evening.

Romans 1: 16 – 25

Paul describes his
confidence in the gospel and in its truth. He lives by faith and God’s
righteousness is revealed through our faith to build our faith.

Paul explains that God’s
power and presence is obvious to everyone just by looking at creation – eternal
power and divine nature invisible to us yet present. Yet people did not worship
God but set up all sorts of idols to worship – thinking they were clever but
really they were being silly. God allowed that choice and all that follows from
it including dreadful behaviour. The people serve creatures and other notions
rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Flowering bushMandurah Estuary WA L Osburn

Amazing, magnificent, wonderful God, there are never enough or the right
words to describe how great you are. You are our all and everything, our calm and
quiet and our true freedom. Give us grace so that we only worship you. Give us
ears to hear your voice in creation and in your gospel so that our faith will
grow and so that we live the eternal life you planned for us through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.